TSA, Ad Council Launch Travel Campaign

Effort Seeks to Educate Airline Passengers on New Procedures

As the summer travel season starts, the Transportation Security Administration and the Ad Council are continuing their partnership by launching a national campaign to help airline passengers prepare for travel. The effort, part of a program launched in November 2008, will educate travelers about new security procedures being introduced this summer as part of the Secure Flight program.

Secure Flight is designed to enhance the security of commercial air travel through improving government watch-list matching. TSA is taking over this responsibility from aircraft operators.

"TSA is partnering with airlines and the Ad Council to educate passengers about the Secure Flight program that makes travel safer and easier for millions of Americans," TSA Acting Administrator Gale Rossides said. "Secure Flight will also help reduce the misidentification of passengers who have names similar to individuals on government watch lists, clearing more than 99 percent of passengers for travel."

The Secure Flight campaign will use informational videos running in airports as well as online, social media strategies, national radio sponsorships and public relations, all directing passengers to the TSA Web site, www.tsa.gov. TSA has found that travelers are more willing to cooperate with airport security when they better understand the reasoning behind the measures.

The phased-in Secure Flight program will start by asking passengers to make airline reservations using their names as they appear on the government-issued ID they will use when traveling. Later this summer, passengers making airline reservations will also be asked for their date of birth and gender.

TSA hopes to fully implement Secure Flight in early 2010 for all domestic flights and the end of 2010 for all international flights.